DS9 Season 6 - Essential Trek Philosophy with Duncan Barrett, Part 2.

In this second part of a two-part episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison continue their discussion with author Duncan Barrett about their top picks for Essential Trek Philosophy from season 6 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Good vs. Evil in Star Trek. We discuss the nature of evil in the Star Trek universe, including examples of supposedly evil characters such as Armus from "Skin of Evil," the Borg Queen, and the Pah-Wraiths.

The Visitor. We discuss the philosophical themes in the Deep Space Nine episode, "The Visitor," including the relationship between creative writing, lived experience, and what the German philosopher Martin Heidegger called "Being-in-the-World."

Drone Warfare and "The Arsenal of Freedom." We discuss ethical issues related to automated warfare and the commodification of war in "The Arsenal of Freedom" (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1).

The Philosophy of Color in Star Trek. From the physics of light to the physiology of color perception, we discuss the philosophy of color in the Star Trek universe and why exactly the infamous Redshirt uniforms are red.

Philosophical Themes in Star Trek: Discovery, Episodes 1 and 2. Fresh on the heels of the premier of Star Trek: Discovery, we discuss Discovery's 23rd-century social and political commentary on our 21st-century world today.

Pen Pals. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the second-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Pen Pals," interpreting the Prime Directive, and 24th-century ham radio in space.

Enterprise Season 2 - Essential Trek Philosophy. Hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling recount their choices for Essential Trek Philosophy from season 2 of Enterprise, along with proverbial life lessons learned from this season.

Cardassian Virtue Ethics. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling discuss uniquely Cardassian character traits and what we can learn about our own human natures from the Cardassians in the Star Trek universe.

"Rapture" and Altered States of Consciousness. Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss ineffable moments of insight and clarity, duck-rabbit Gestalt shifts, the ethics of medical intervention, and the power of positive thinking.

The Original Series Season 2 - Essential Trek Philosophy. Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling continue their philosophical retrospective of Star Trek with their top choices for "Essential Trek Philosophy" from season 2 of Star Trek: The Original Series.

Kierkegaard and Stages on Life's Way. This time we're talking "Soren," but not Dr. Tolian Soren from Star Trek Generations; we're talking Søren Kierkegaard and the characters from Star Trek who exemplify Kierkegaard's three "Stages on Life's Way."

Exploration and Expanding Knowledge. Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling explore the underlying assumption of the Star Trek worldview that the pursuit of knowledge is intrinsically valuable and worth the risks inherent to exploration of the unknown.

TNG Season 6 - Essential Trek Philosophy. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling compare their top picks for Essential Trek Philosophy from season 6 of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The Definition of Life. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophical and scientific challenges of determining a precise definition of "life," both inside and outside of the Star Trek universe.

Cloaking Devices and the Ring of Gyges. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling discuss the ethics of invisibility, from the Ring of Gyges in Plato's Republic to Romulan cloaking devices in Star Trek.

DS9 Season 6 - Essential Trek Philosophy with Duncan Barrett, Part 2. Zachary and Mike continue their discussion with author Duncan Barrett about their top picks for Essential Trek Philosophy from season 6 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

DS9 Season 6 - Essential Trek Philosophy with Duncan Barrett, Part 1. In this first part of a two-part episode, Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling are joined by author Duncan Barrett to discuss Essential Trek Philosophy from DS9 season 6.